WOODPECKER— JAY— GREBES. 



159 



in our ornithology could have been more novel and unexpected than 

 was Mr. Henshaw's announcement of the fact, which he deter- 

 mined beyond reasonable question, that he found the two supposed 

 species paired and rearing a family in the same hole. It is not 

 uninstructive now to look back upon the history of the supposed 

 species. In the first place we notice that the two have always been 

 accredited with the same geographical range, and have generally 

 been found together ; at least, most papers containing a notice of 

 one, also give the other. Next we observe, in most cases, hesita- 

 tion and evident uncertainty in descriptions of the sexual differences 

 of each supposed species, the female of " williamsoni" and the 

 male of " thyroideus" having been groped for indeed, but not 

 found. Nor is there, in the fairly large amount of material re- 

 ceived at the Smithsonian, an unquestionable specimen of the op- 

 posite sex of either of the supposed species. As indicating how 

 far we may sometimes go astray, these birds have been placed in 

 several different genera, so widely have the sexes of one species 

 been dissociated ; while the biographical notices which have ap- 

 peared are not entirely concordant, showing how much our written 

 history of living birds may be tempered by evidently fortuitous cir- 

 cumstances of observation, or transient impressions of an observer. 



Red-naped, Yellow-bellied, or Nuchal Woodpecker. {Sphyrapicus varius, 



var. nuchalis.) 



Fig. 31. 



A variety that is met with in the middle provinces of the United 

 States. Its habits are very similar to the typical bird Sphysopicus 

 varius, Plate IX., figs. 3 and 4, page 10. Mr. Ridgeway found it 

 a very abundant species of the Wahsatch and Uintah Mountains. 

 It was also found, in greater or less numbers, throughout the Great 

 Basin, and one specimen was seen on the eastern Sierra Nevada. 

 Its favorite resort, during summer, was the aspen groves in the 

 mountains, at an altitude averaging about seven thousand feet ; 

 and even when pine woods were near the aspens were invariably 

 chosen as nesting places. In winter it was found among the cot- 

 lonwoods and willows of the river valleys. 



Arizona Ultramarine Jay. (Ap/ielocoma ultramarina.) 

 Fig. 32. 



The above name has been given to two varieties of the Canada 

 Jay, one of which was from Alaska and the other from the 

 Rocky Mountains. 



PLATE CVI. 



Crested Grebe. (Podiceps cristatus.) 



Fig. 1. 



This stately bird is a general inhabitant of North America ; also 

 of Europe and other parts of the Old World ; in fact, wherever 

 suitable pieces of water exist this bird is to be met with. Accord- 

 ing to Behm, these birds, in early spring, make their appearance in 

 pairs, but towards the autumn large parties of them may be seen 

 together, consisting of fifty or sixty individuals, who keep com- 

 pany with each other during their migration southward. In their 

 migrations it is generally understood that these birds only travel 

 by night, and that wherever large lakes or rivers are to be found, 

 as also along the sea-coast, they make their way principally by 

 swimming. During the summer season the Crested Grebe takes 

 up its abode on extensive lakes, where reeds and other water 

 plants are abundant. Their powers' of swimming and diving are 

 quite wonderful. According to Nauman's observations, this Grebe 



will dive, in the course of half a minute, to the distance of two 

 hundred feet. Its flight, too, when it thinks proper to take wing, 

 is tolerably swift ; it always proceeds in a straight line, and the 

 whirring noise made by the rapid motion of its wings is audible 

 at some distance. In its behavior it seems to be the mo.st cir- 

 cumspect and the shyest member of the family, and is not easily ap- 

 proached, more especially as it generally keeps in open water, 

 where it can see to a distance. If surprised, when in the vicinity 

 of a bed of reeds, it immediately takes refuge among them, 

 but only so long as to enable it again to plunge into deep water; 

 if pursued it immediately dives, and when it comes up again 

 to breath, allows only its beak to appear above the surface, and as 

 soon as it has taken breath dives again, until it has placed itself 

 quite beyond reach of danger. 



The male and female sit upon the eggs alternately; but the fe- 

 male has the greater share in the business of incubation, the male 

 often swimming around the place, apparently for the purpose 

 of keeping her company. Should, however, both be obliged to 

 leave the nest at the same time, they carefully cover the eggs with 

 a mass of half rotten water-plants, brought up from the bottom for 

 the purpose. In about three weeks the young are hatched, even 

 from eggs which during a great part of the time have been lying 

 in the water. From the first moment they are able to swim, and 

 in the course of a few days to dive ; they are, however, con- 

 stantly accompanied by their parents, who often give them shelter 

 under their wings. Having once quitted the nest, the young ones 

 seldom return to it, a comfortable resting and sleeping place being 

 afforded to them on the backs of their parents. 



Horned Grebe. (Podiceps comutus.) 



Fig. 2. 



The Horned Grebe is a common species to North America, as 

 well as Europe and Asia. 



Dr. Kennedy's manuscript contains the annexed observations in 

 regard to the Western Grebe and the Horned Grebe : 



" This species, and the Podiceps cormitus, are very common on 

 Puget's Sound. They are rather more rare during the summer 

 months than in the autumn and winter. During the latter seasons 

 they may almost always be found — two, rarely more, in com- 

 pany — coasting near the shore, diving rapidly in search of food. 

 When desirous of descending beneath the water, they seem to raise 

 themselves partially from the surface, and describing as they 

 descend, almost a perfect arc of a circle. Few birds are more 

 graceful on the water than these interesting species ; and it has 

 afforded us many moments of real enjoyment to watch them glid- 

 ing rapidly and smoothly over its surface, or performing in rapid 

 succession their graceful curves as they disappear beneath its sur- 

 face. They do not often take to wing, relying more on their pow- 

 ers of swimming and diving as a means of escape from enemies ; 

 when they do fly, they rise very awkardly from the water, often 

 for a long distance dragging their dangling legs before they suc- 

 ceed, and often, under such circumstances, abandoning the effort, 

 they stop and suddenly disappear beneath the surface. They fol- 

 low up the streams emptying into the Sound for long distances, 

 many of them spending their summer on the lakes far inland, in 

 the neighborhood of which they probably breed with the Large 

 Loon (C. lorquatus). I have often seen large flocks of them 

 on Chiloweyuck Lake from August to September, and perhaps 

 later." 



St. Domingo Grebe. (Podiceps dominicus.) 

 Fig- 3- 



This species, according to the latest information, is an inhabit- 

 ant of our Southern border, and is the only North American rep- 

 resentative of the group. 



